Sunshine
by shell bell1
Summary: Jack has a little sister named Sunshine. All of the Newsies love her like a sister, but when Sunshine and Cowboy's father returns their worlds will go upside down. PLEASE REVIEW. ITS MY FIRST FIC
1. Good Morning Sunshine

"Get up ya lousy bums! Ya got papes to sell! Get up!! Up up up!!!!" Kloppman yelled at the Newsies. With a loud grumble the boys slowly crawled out of their beds and got ready for the long day ahead of them. When they were all dressed and ready they waited at the bottom of the stairs. They talked about what they were going to do that day, and where they were going to sell, but when they saw a figure standing at the top of the stairs, they were all instantly silent. With one sweeping motion all their caps were off and they said as if in one voice

"Good Morning Sunshine".

"Good Morning boys," she replied back. She walked down the stairs with her usual smile on her face, the one that seemed to spread past her cheeks and on to whoever happened to be standing near her. It was that infectious. To the boys Sunshine was more than a fellow newsie; she was a best friend, a sister, and a mother all rolled into one. No newsie could ever remember not seeing a smile on her face, which is why they called her Sunshine; she was a constant form of happiness to all of them, and this small ritual was their way of showing her their appreciation. A silent vow that they would never leave her behind, never leave without her. After their morning ritual all the Manhatten Newsies left the lodging house together. They got to the distribution office and got into their usual order. Jack, Dave, Racetrack, Crutchy, Mush, Sunshine, and everyone else behind them. After Mush bought his papers Sunshine stepped up the window,

"Good Mornin' Mr. Weisel. Fifty papes plase." she said cheerfully. And as much as the old man wanted to hate her because she was a newsie, he could never bring himself to say anything rude to her like he did to the other newsies. Because when she wished him a good morning, he believed that she honestly hoped his day was going well. Oscar and Morris on the other hand were completely different story.

"Hey a sweetheart" Morris whispered, "How about you and me's walk down to Queens tonight? I know a great lil' spot we can go to. Where we can be all alone."

Now Sunshine might be a girl, and a pretty girl at that, but she wasn't stupid, and certainly wasn't a priss. She hated fighting, but knew that she could take care of herself if she needed too. Jack had taught her everything he knew. Sunshine was just about to respond with a clever remark when Jack jumped in.

"Blow it out your ear Delancy, she's ain't interested," he said through gritted teeth.

"This ain't none of your business Kelly," Morris sneered back.

"Her business, is my business, and if you don't watch yourself, it's gonna be the business of forty other Newsies." With that Jack grabbed Sunshine's arm and pulled her away from the window.

"Jack, I can take care of myself ya know. Ya don't need to save me every time some guy talks to me. Especially when its an idiot like Morris." She sounded angry but her eyes said otherwise. They still had the same spark in them.

"I know Sunshine, but the Delancy's are no good and one day they're gonna try somethin' with ya. I was just given em' fair warnin'." He smiled than wrapped her in a big hug and they walked off together carryin' the banner. The truth was Jack really was concerned for her. Ever since she had turned 12 about a month ago, Jack had noticed the rude glances Sunshine had been getting when they walked down the streets together. Even though he treated the Delanceys like they were buffoons just like everyone else, he knew first hand what they were capable of.

It was 3 o'clock by the time Sunshine had sold out. She usually sold alone because years on the job had taught her that a young girl alone attracted a lot of sympathy from wealthy customers. Today had been no different, a wealthy young woman had given her a dime for the one paper she had bought. More than satisfied with the day's sales Sunshine decided to stop by Tibby's to see if any one else had finished selling. Just as she had hoped only two newsies could be seen in the restaurant. Jack, and Spot, visiting from Brooklyn. She walked in and sat with them at their booth.

"Hey ya boys" She said smiling.

"Hey Sunshine" they answered together, and then resumed to the quiet conversation they were having. Uninterested in what the boys were talking about, Sunshine began making mental preparations for Jack's birthday which was coming up in about six months. While deciding between a chocolate cake with vanilla icing or vanilla cake with chocolate icing a familiar voice interrupted her thoughts, "So how was yer day Sunshine?"

"Not too bad Spot. Some lady gave me a dime for one paper! Can you believe that!? But what brings you all the way over to our territory?"

"Jacky boy here told me he had important news ta share wid me."

"Oh yeah? Whats the important news Jack? Did Sarah smile at ya again?" Spot chuckled at her joke, it had been a month since Jack and Sarah had shared their big kiss, but he still hadn't gotten the courage to ask her out on an official date. He often went to Sunshine and Spot for advice.

"Why don't ya tell her what ya told me Cowboy." Spot replied, giving his buddy an encouraging nudge.

"Yeah Jack, you've been awful quiet since I've gotten here. What's wrong?" She tried to get his eyes to meet hers and when they did she flashed him a smile. Immediately Jack's usual grin was back on his face, which had been formally been occupied by a look of worry.

"Well, uh, Sunshine. Someone came by the lodgin' house lookin' for ya. Well actually for the both of us. It was Pop." As soon as Jack said this he knew he should have prepared her for the blow. She sat completely still staring at Jack, the smile immediately erased from her face.

"He got out?" Jack nodded, and took her hand in his.


	2. Whoops I forgot a disclaimer

DISCLAIMER- I don't own any of the Newsies. They belong to Disney. I do own Sunshine and Robert Sullivan. 


	3. He's Out?

"He's out. He's back. He knows where you are." This phrase kept running through Sunshine's mind after hearing the news her brother had just laid on her. Finally looking up from the one spot on the floor she had been staring at she gazed into Jack's eyes. They were filled with worry for his baby sister. He knew how much Sunshine hated the topic of their father.

Sunshine hated worrying Jack. She knew a lot of newsies who had dumped their siblings in the Refuge or left them on the streets, and she also knew that Jack would never do that to her; the bond between the two of them was too sacred, they had gone through too much together to leave each other behind. Newsies from Manhattan to Harlem knew that if you messed with Sunshine you messed with Jack and vice versa. She tried to work hard and stay out of trouble so that he would never have to worry about her, and never feel like she was a burden. After looking at Jack's worried face guilt immediately consumed Sunshine. To put her brother at ease she forced a small, but nonetheless genuine, smile onto her face. They both knew he would worry anyway, but the gesture was appreciated.

"So. Jack. What did he have to say?" Sunshine asked quietly.

"He said he was sorry he hadn't been around much the last couple of years and he was sorry for everything. And he asked to have dinner with both of us tomorrow night." He looked at his plate while saying all this and only dared to look at her face when he was through. To his surprise when he found his younger sister laughing out loud.

"Well I hope you gave him a good piece of your mind and told him no way in hell were we going out to dinner with him after what he did to us." For the second time that day she the smile from her face faded, when she saw that Jack wasn't laughing with her. "Did you tell him what we would see him Jack? That I would see him!? How could you do that without asking me? This is un fucking believable. I thought you of all people would understand that I don't ever want to see that man again!"

"Hey now wait just a second here," Spot jumped in. "First of all stop swearing, it ain't lady like. I won't have my Sunshine talkin' like a whore on the streets. Ya got that?" Even though Spot and Sunshine weren't related they may as well have been. He had known Jack and Sunshine ever since they had first hit the streets almost seven years ago, and was even more protective of her than Jack. To him Sunshine represented what a kid should be, and he secretly promised himself that he would see to it that she got more out of life than he and Jack did. "This wasn't all Jack. I thought you guys should see him too," Spot told her. He swung an arm over her shoulder and she leaned her head against his arm. "The both of you'se need closure. Meet with him once, yell out all the things you've wanted to tell him the past seven years, and then you never have to see him again. Simple as that."

Spot's simple explanation and solution made Sunshine feel very foolish. "Maybe I over reacted a little bit," she thought to herself. All of a sudden Sunshine had the sudden urge to hug her brother. She pulled herself out of Spot's grasp, walked around the table and sat on Jack's lap. She kissed him softly on the cheek then nuzzled her head into his chest and he wrapped his arms around her like he used to when she was younger. Suddenly a terrible thought pushed its way into Sunshine's just recently pacified mind. She slowly looked up at her brother and asked, "What if he wants me to go with him, like before? What if he tries to take me away from you?" Jack and Spot looked at each other with a grave expression on both of their faces. Sunshine's worst fear was both of theirs as well. It was the one foil to their otherwise flawless plan.

Not wanting his sister to be any more anxious than she already was Jack held her close and responded confidently, "Do you think me and Spot would ever let him take you away? You've got the two toughest newsies in New York lookin' out for you. You're not goin anywhere."

"Damn Straight Cowboy!" Spot yelled slamming his fist onto the table and spilling water everywhere. The serious atmosphere of the table was at once eliminated and laughter filled their small booth. Sunshine gave Jack her brightest smile than promptly stole his hat and ran off to another table where a game of poker had just begun.


	4. A Walk Through The City

Oddly enough, Sunshine's favorite time of day was sunset. She loved the way the beams of light reflected onto different objects making it seem as if she had walked into an entirely new world, and no sunset was ever the same. Each one was an entirely different experience to her and her greatest pleasure was just walking up and down the streets, while most people were inside eating their dinner, soaking up the last bit of sunshine the day had to offer.

After the talk Sunshine had with Jack and Spot she used her daily walk to clear her head of all of the thoughts that were running around inside of it. She spent a lot of the time carefully choosing the words that she would use to belittle the man who didn't even have the right to the name "Pop". Abandoning a wife with two kids only to return years later with a penchant for violence. Jack, Spot and the rest of the Newsies had been more of a father than he could ever have dreamed of. For the first time in years Sunshine's heart was filled with legitimate anger, except for a small corner where hope had snuck in. The childish part of her heart, the part that still believed in happy endings despite all of the horrible incidents she had witnessed on the streets, that small part still hoped that her father would come back a changed man. That in the years spend in the penitentiary he had seen the error of his ways and had come back to love his children in the way that all children were born to be loved. Even though she logic told her it would never happen, that resilient hope still remained.

Lost in her thoughts Sunshine did not hear the sound of quiet footsteps coming up behind her, and she did not notice that it was almost completely dark and that she usually would have been back at the lodging house by now. So Sunshine was completely taken by surprise when a pair of strong arms grabbed her and pulled her into a near by alley. Still being restrained Sunshine noticed a familiar figure was standing next to her.

"Well, well, well. What have we got here? Looks like Sunshine forgot to go inside when the moon came out."

Although Sunshine had been extensively trained by Jack, she had never had to fight the Delanceys off by herself. Not wanting to appear afraid and give her captors the upper hand Sunshine spoke as calmly as she could, "Oh hi Morris! I didn't recognize you for a second. You blended in with the pile of trash right next to ya." Oscar's grip on her arms tightened and Morris started pounding his fist into his hand, like a baseball pitcher with his ball and mitt.

" Ya got a smart mouth on you, but that's just going to get ya in trouble kid. You better be careful or this could end up a lot worse. I'd hate for you to have to go home to your brother and tell him that you aren't his little ray of sunshine anymore. That now you're just the slut we always knew you were." Morris took off his jacket and rolled up his long sleeves. She could feel his eyes staring right through her clothes at what was underneath. "I'm sorry I insulted you darlin'" he said in a clearly false sympathetic tone. "Come give me a hug and we'll call a truce." He walked toward her with his arms wide open and Sunshine seeing her chance gave him a swift kick in the crotch. Immediately Morris fell to the ground in agony and Oscar in surprise let go of her completely. Sunshine made a run for it but stopped for a second to check out the pain she had inflicted on her brother's nemesis. This second long hesitation was enough time for Oscar to realize his mistake and land a solid left hook on Sunshine's face. Remembering the situation she was in, Sunshine was able to duck under Oscar's swinging arms and run into him as fast as she could making sure his head was the first thing to have contact with the brick wall behind him. Without anymore delay Sunshine ran as fast as she could without rest until she finally reached the front steps of the lodging house.


	5. Telling Jack

Outside the lodging house, Sunshine took a minute to calm down

Outside the lodging house, Sunshine took a minute to calm down. Running her fingers along her face to check out the damage Oscar had inflicted on her, she winced when she came to her already swollen eye. She tried to arrange her long curly brown hair in a way that would cover her eye, at least temporarily, when the sound of the old Lodging House door opening startled her.

"Sunshine! What the hell are you doin' out here? Everyone's been worried sick about ya! Race just lost three hands of poker in a row." Blink practically yelled out of relief at the sight of his friend.

"Hey Blink! How's it going? Did you sell out today?" Sunshine asked with her brightest smile on her face. She hoped to distract him so that he wouldn't notice her black eye, because if he saw it he would tell Jack immediately, which would lead to the inevitable over reaction. When Sunshine was eight Spot had been aiming his slingshot at bottles in an alley, when one of the marbles ricocheted off a wall and hit her in the leg. When Jack saw the welt that the marble had left he wouldn't let Sunshine out of his sight for days, and visibly got nervous whenever Spot took out his slingshot. With a black eye, Sunshine couldn't even imagine Jack's reaction.

"Sunshine, don't try and change the subject. Where have you been?" Blink probed. Sighing with defeat, Sunshine realized she wasn't going to be able to sneak by unnoticed. So she decided to tell the truth… mostly.

"I got held up a little, that's why I'm late. Listen Blink, you have to do me a huge favor. You have to distract everyone so I can get inside and clean up a little. I fell down in some mud on the way here and I look really dirty." Blink looked at the girl and saw the traces of dirt on her clothes. He was about to agree to participate in Sunshine's diversion when, in the moonlight, he saw a dark circle around her right eye. He stared at her curiously for a moment, and Sunshine suddenly noticing Blink's expression, started backing away.

"Ok Blink so you run inside and get everyone downstairs, and then I'll sneak up the fire escape into the bathroom to freshen up. Sound like a plan?" Even though there was enthusiasm behind her voice, Sunshine knew that her cover had been blown.

"What happened to your eye Sunshine?" Blink asked in a casual way, hoping that if he didn't make a big deal out of it she would tell him the true story faster. Sunshine looked away, and mumbled off a lie that sounded unbelievable even to her own ears.

"I was walking back to the Lodging House when this carriage came buy, and this guy threw this… sandwich out the window and it hit me in the face." She had never been a very good liar.

"Really? Sandwich to the face huh?" Blink laughed. "Listen, I know you don't want to worry nobody or nothin' but I gotta go get Jack. If he knew, that I knew, that you walked in like this, I'd probably need two eye patches!" Blink laughed again, this time at his own joke, but Sunshine's face held no happiness. The lecture from Jack that was coming was nothing to laugh about, and neither was the consequence of this little incident with the Delanceys. Jack had always told her that her nightly walks were only allowed so long as she was able to stay out of trouble. And Sunshine, knowing her brother like the back of her hand, knew that this was going to be the last time she was allowed out on her own for a long time.

Sunshine sat on the stoop thinking about her upcoming loss of freedom when she heard hurried footsteps coming from inside. Jack rushed out the door and pulled her into a hug so tight she could barely breathe. Her face was smushed against his chest, and he stroked her hair gently. Sunshine took a deep breath and relaxed, allowing the warmth and protection of Jack's arms to sink into her body. Although she hadn't realized it at the time (because she was so busy plotting her escape) Sunshine had been really scared. She thought about what might of happened had she not run fast enough, or been strong enough to push Oscar over. Tears began to fall from her eyes but, even though she was crying, standing outside with Jack made her feel like everything was going to be all right. He would never let anything happen to her, and he would always be there to protect her.

After a long moment Jack pulled away from Sunshine. He pointed her chin at him so he could look directly into her eyes, and asked quietly "You OK?" Sunshine took a deep breath, flashed a quick smile and nodded bravely. Satisfied with her response for the moment Jack replied, "OK, lets get you out of the cold. We'll have a meeting in my office." Sunshine nodded and Jack threw a protective arm around her shoulder as they walked into the Lodging House together. All of the boys sitting around on the ground floor stopped what they were doing to see if Sunshine was OK. From the way they had seen Jack rush down the stairs and outside a few minutes earlier, they knew that something was wrong, and that something had to do with Sunshine. Jack put a finger to his lips, telling all the boys not to say anything yet. Sunshine tried to smile at all the boys like nothing was wrong, but the silence of the room, and the loss of the gleam in her eye made it not seem genuine.

Jack and Sunshine hurried up the stairs and settled down in Jack's "Office", an unoccupied bunk bed with a sheet around the lower bunk for privacy. Sunshine tried to settle in Jack's lap, wanting to feel the safety of his arms again, but Jack pointed to a spot across from him. He wanted to be able to see her eyes. The concern in Jack's eyes was momentarily replaced with a neutral expression, as he waited to hear her story. Sunshine stared back at him until finally she gave in to his desire for knowledge and began her story.

"Um… I was walking around, like usual, just thinking. You know, about Pop and stuff, when I realized it was late. I was walking back when I ran into the Delancys." Sunshine looked away when she said the name of Jack's biggest enemies, but out of the corner of her eye she saw his own eyes narrow in anger. Hoping that was all the information he wanted Sunshine stopped the story there, but after another look from Jack she continued. "They pushed me up against a wall in an alley and made some stupid comments. Before they could do anything I kicked Morris in the balls and ran to the end of the alley. But Oscar caught up to me and slugged me in the face. When he was trying to swing again I tackled him and he hit his head against the wall. Then I ran all the way here and Blink saw me and came outside."

Sunshine lowered her face so that Jack couldn't see the ashamed look that was on it. You're a Manhattan freakin' Newsie, she thought to herself. You shouldn't be having trouble with the Delanceys, you should be able to handle those guys no problem. Before Jack could begin his lecture about the importance of coming home before nightfall, Sunshine whispered "I'm so sorry Jack."

With those words Jack, lifted her chin and whispered, "You ain't got nothin' to be sorry for ya hear me? Nothin'. You didn't ask to have assholes like the Delanceys pick on you. I'm the one that should be sorry. I'm your big brother, I'm supposed to protect you from pervs like them. If anything its my fault Sunshine, cuz I let you out there alone even though I knew those creeps were getting too close for comfort." Sunshine gave a small smile, and Jack knew that his words had sunk in. "But don't think I'm going to let you off easy either. You should have been home almost half an hour ago! I was worried sick about you. Now listen, from now on I want you to sell near me during the day, and we can take an evening stroll together. I won't say a word if you don't want me to. I'll just walk behind you and let you think all you can think. OK?" Sunshine nodded and gave Jack the largest hug she had ever given him. She really couldn't have asked for a better brother.

"Oh! Jack! I forgot to tell you. I told Morris that he blended in with the pile of trash in the alley! He got so mad you should have seen it" Sunshine exclaimed. She and Jack were always trying to outdo each other with Delancy insults.

"Not bad, not bad" Jack conceded. Sunshine got off the bed and headed toward the first floor where a poker game was going on when Jack called after her. "Hey Sunshine! Where do you think you're goin?"

"To watch the poker game downstairs" she replied, but after looking at his face she knew that poker was not in Jack's plan for tonight.

"I don't think so missy. I think we're going to clean that cut on your face and you're going to go to sleep." Sunshine groaned and Jack grinned. It was rare that he parented her like this, but sometimes he got a kick out of it. He could see she was about to complain, but he cut in before she could say anything, "You're more tired than you think, believe me."

After washing up and changing into her nightclothes Jack tucked her into her bed. While Jack was straightening up after hunching over the bed Sunshine suddenly wrapped her arms around his neck and whispered "I love you Francis. You're the best big brother in the whole world. Thanks for always being there." A tear fell from Jack's eye but he was able use Sunshine's hair to catch it and make it look like it had never been there. He kissed her forehead and shut the door behind him so that she could sleep peacefully. He leaned against the door and wiped his face with his bandana.

Although he didn't want Sunshine to know it, Jack was disturbed by what had happened between her and the Delancys. He had let her off easy so she wouldn't know how concerned he was with their behavior. If she hadn't been able to get away, and had come back with something worse than a black eye, he would never be able to forgive himself. Hell, he felt guilty enough after just seeing her with that shiner. She meant everything to him. He probably wouldn't have been able to get through seven years on the streets if she hadn't been there, with that smile, day after day. It was her optimism that had kept him going during the strike. The truth was, the great Jack Kelly was nothing without his twelve year old kid sister.

Back on the streets, the Delanceys were meeting with a mysterious figure in another alley on the other side of town. With his back facing the two brothers the man asked "Howd it go?"

Morris snickered, while Oscar answered "Just as planned. Just shook her up a bit, and then let her go without much of a fight."

The man joined Morris in snickering, and handed the boys an envelope filled with five-dollar bills. "Good work boys. Keep your eyes and ears open. I'm sure I'll be calling upon your services soon." And with that, he walked away without saying another word.


End file.
